Tape-measure.



D.V H. HDDES.

TAPE MEASURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAII. a. I9Is.

Ilm", PII-muted Dee. I4, 1915.

III

WITNESS/:"8

DAVID I-I.V HODES, v0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TAPE-MEASURE.

nii-casar.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patimtqgd Egg, 14C, jl'glll-5application inea March s, i915. semi No. l11,ef5.

To all tri/wm it may concern lle it known that l. DAVID H. Hopes, acitiren of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn,county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Tape-Measures, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform a part hereof.

This invention relates to improvements vin tape measures.

rlhe purpose of the invention is to provide an arrangement whereby twosimilar tape measures or sections thereof may be separably connectedtogether for joint use and whereby the individual sections may beseparately used, each such section having provisions whereby it isadapted to be held by means other than the handv when a measurement isto be taken from a point where it is not desirable to hold the measureby means of the unaided hand such, for instance, as underneath the armor in the crotch, the arrangement being such that the graduations onboth sections may read in orderly series both when the sections aresecured together for joint use and when detached for separate use.

The invention consists of the features hereinafter pointed out andspecified in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings in which the invention is shown in itspreferred embodiment and in which like reference numerals designatecorresponding parts in the several gures, Figure 1 is a plan view of onemeasuring section showing a pencil insorted in the loop portion at oneend. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. Fi 3 isa plan view of a measuring section showing the looping portion eX-tended. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the two measuring sections securedtogether for joint use. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the arrangement shownin Fig. 4l.

Referring now to the particular features shown in the drawings, l is atape measuring section having a looping portion 2 at one end and havingseparable fastening means whereby said looping portion may be formedinto a loop, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Such fastening means preferablyconsist of male and female button portions 3 and 4, the button portion 3being secured to the body of the measuring section and the buttonportion ebeing secured to the looping portion 2 near its free end.

5 is a pencil which may be inserted in the loop 2 when it is desired totake a measure ment from a point such as under the arm or in the crotch.In this instance, the pencil is to be held in 'the hand and the end ofthe loop engaged by the pencil is to be held at the point from which themeasure is to be taken, thus avoiding the undesirable use of the unaidedhand to hold the measure at point such as that indicated.

The graduations on the measuring section 1 read in orderly series fromthe fold of the looping portion 2 when such portion has been formed intothe loop as shown in Figs. l and 2. On the obverse side of the measuringsection the graduations read from 1 to G0 starting with the fold of theloop. On the reverse side of the measuring section the graduations readfrom 1 to 6() starting from the` end opposite the loop.

Tape measures are ordinarily made sixty inches in length and it notinfrequently happens that a measurement of greater length is required tobe taken. lVhen a single tape measure measuring sixty inches is to beused in such a case, it is necessary to measure out the full length ofthe tape measure and then Vmeasure on from the point corresponding withthe length of the tape measure to the desired point. rlhis isinconvenient and not infreouently leads to mistake. This is especiallythe case where the measure is to be used by a tailor in taking ameasurement on the human body for clothing. By means of the presentinvention the looping portions of two measuring sections may be extendedand overlapped and separably secured together by means of the samefastening devices which are utilized to form a loop as shown in Figs. land 5. ln Figs. 4 and 5, 6 is a measuring section having a loopingportion 7 and male and female button portions 8 and 9. lt is in allrespects similar to the measuring section 1. `When the measuringsections l and 6 are to be secured together, the button portions l and 8are attached together and the button portions 3 and 9 are attachedtogether. lin this way the measuring sections may be readily used totake a longer measurement than is within the scope of either measuringsection. It will be seen that when the two measuring sections are joinedtogether, the graduations of each looping portion read in orderly serieswith the immediate adjoining graduations on the adjoining measuringsection, so that the combined measuring sections may be convenientlyused together. Ordinarily the graduations are omitted Jfrom that portionof each measuring section which forms the inside of the looping portionas shown in F ig. 8. In the preferred arrangement the looping portionsof both sections are of equal length and the fastening means of bothsections are similarly located. This makes'it possible to connect thetwo sections together by the same fastening means that are employed whenthe sections are used separately with their loops.

What I claim is:

1. Atape measure comprising two similar secticns provided at their endswith looping portions and separable fastening means whereby a loop maybe formed at the end of each section to adapt such section for separateuse as described, said looping portions when unfC-lded and extendedbeing adapted to be overlapped and secured together separably, thegraduations of each section being so arranged as to read in orderlyseries from Vthe middle of its looped portion when the section is usedalone, whereby the graduations of each looping portion read in orderlyseries with the immediate adjoining graduations on the adjoiningmeasuring section when the two sections are secured together for jointuse.

2. A tape measure comprising two similar sections provided at their endswith looping portions of equal length and separable fastening meanssimilarly located whereby a loop may be formed at the end oi eachsection to adapt such section for separate use as described, saidlooping portions when unfolded and extended being adapted to beoverlapped and secured together separably by said fastening means, thegraduations of each secticn being so arranged as to read in orderlyseries from the middle of its looped portion when the section is usedalone whereby the graduations of each looping y portion read in orderlyseries with the immediate adjoining graduations on the adjoiningmeasuring section when the two sections are secured together for jointuse.

This speciication signed and witnessed this 27th day of February, A. D.,1915.

DAVE. H. HODES.

Signed in the presence of- InA G. GILMonE, VVORTHINGTON C. CAMPBELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Y Washington, D. C.

